The present disclosure relates to transmission systems, and more specifically to transmission systems that precharge transmission lines with precharge voltage.
Transmission systems are commonly used within integrated circuit devices to transmit data over electrical conductors (such as wires, buses, transmission lines, etc.). Such transmission systems generally include a transmitter circuit (that receives data input and that controls the voltage level on the transmission line) and a receiver circuit that senses the voltage level of the transmission line, and outputs a transmitted data signal representing the sensed voltage. In many transmission systems, precharge circuitry charges the transmission line, and the transmitter circuit allows such precharge voltage to stay on the transmission line, or changes the precharge voltage to a different voltage to actually transmit the data to the receiver circuit.
All the circuits within transmission systems are controlled by global timing signals, such as global clock signals, global reset signals, global precharge signals, etc. For example, all the precharge circuits within a transmission system simultaneously begin precharging the various transmission lines when they receive a global timing signal. Similarly, all the transmitter circuits within a transmission system simultaneously begin transmission of the data (e.g., begin changing the voltage on the transmission line) upon receipt of a global clock signal. Consistent with the foregoing, all receiver circuits within a transmission system wait until the previous clock cycle has completed before completing the sensing operation of the transmission line voltage. Therefore, such receiver circuits wait until the beginning of the next clock cycle to output the data signal relating to the transmission line voltage sensed during the previous clock cycle.
Precharging the transmission lines requires a certain amount of voltage and, therefore, many efforts have been made to reduce the power consumed during such precharging operations. Similarly, in order to increase the speed of such transmission systems, efforts have been made to shorten the clock cycle.